“Maybe that’s when the friction with Neale and Skip started—”

“Uhh-uh.” Donna shook her head and reached for the plate between them. “Neale wasn’t at the same school. Skip didn’t even know Justin had a brother—Justin never mentioned him.”

“That’s weird…”

“Yeah, especially ’cause they’re only a year apart, so it’s funny that they were always in different schools.”

Kelsey chewed slowly on a lump of cinnamon roll. “Maybe they never got along, and Eric had to keep them separated.”

Donna frowned, staring thoughtfully into her cup. “It’s funny about Neale—I’ve never heard anyone say anything about him. It’s almost like they don’t know anything about him. Or they do know something but it’s horrible and they’re trying to keep it a big, dark secret.” Kelsey shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and Donna grinned. “You’re probably right; they probably just didn’t get along. Neale’s so sneaky, and Justin’s so sweet. Girls always mob the lifeguards, but Justin’s so shy! Not like Skip.” Donna flushed.

“Is Skip…your boyfriend?”

There was mild hopelessness in Donna’s eyes. “We’ve grown up together, but I don’t think he’s ever noticed I’m not the kid down the road anymore.”

“Maybe you should go out with Neale,” Kelsey deadpanned. “Maybe Skip would notice that.”

Donna laughed and reached for another roll. “Neale’s so creepy. Like last summer he just showed up on the island. I don’t even think Justin knew he was coming.”

“So Justin was here?”

“Yeah, he and Skip have been lifeguards here for the past few years. Neale stayed someplace down the beach and kept to himself. I never saw him much—at least not till after the drowning.”

“Drowning?” Kelsey’s ears pricked up, her skin going cold.

“It was really sad,” Donna’s voice lowered, “especially ’cause Rebecca was a friend of ours. She was a lifeguard, too—she drowned trying to rescue someone.”

Kelsey stared hard at the table, the roll like a rock in the pit of her stomach. “How horrible…did the other person drown, too?” She looked up but Donna was gazing out the window, a puzzled expression on her face.

“That’s the strange thing,” Donna said slowly. “There’s a phone at each lifeguard station. When any of them has an emergency they take their phone off the hook—that alerts the other lifeguards and the paramedics.”

“Did…didn’t anybody come?”

“Oh, they came all right. But by the time Skip and Justin got to her, she was already dead. And there wasn’t anyone else in the water.”

“What…do you mean?”

“I mean nobody else was out there. Nobody ever washed up on the beach, and no one was ever reported missing. Rebecca was all alone.”

Kelsey reached mechanically for her coffee cup, for some bit of leftover warmth to quell the chill she felt inside.

“It was just about time for the beach to close, and there weren’t many people around,” Donna sighed. “Just some kids on their way home.”

“Well, surely they saw something?”

“They said they heard someone yelling for help, and saw splashing around in the water, like someone was in trouble, but it was too far away to make out. Anyway, nobody believed them. Everyone said it was probably just seagulls, and when nothing ever turned up, well…”